Pharmacokinetics Overview

Front

What is pharmacokinetics?

Back

Pharmacokinetics is the study of what the body does to drugs.

Front

What are the main processes included in pharmacokinetics?

Back

Pharmacokinetics includes absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Front

What are the routes of drug administration?

Back

The routes of drug administration are the paths by which the drug is taken into the body, either intravascular or extravascular.

Front

Give an example of intravascular and extravascular routes.

Back

Intravascular: intravenous injection. Extravascular: oral or intramuscular injection.

Front

Why is absorption crucial for extravascular routes?

Back

Absorption is crucial for extravascular routes because it determines how the drug enters the systemic circulation.

Front

What factors affect drug absorption?

Back

Factors affecting drug absorption include the drug's solubility, molecular size, ionization, physiological factors, interactions, and disease.

Front

What physiological factors affect drug absorption?

Back

Gastrointestinal pH, gastric emptying time, and blood flow to the absorption site are physiological factors affecting drug absorption.

Front

What is bioavailability?

Back

Bioavailability refers to the fraction of the drug that reaches the systemic circulation unchanged.

Front

What is drug distribution?

Back

Distribution is the process by which the drug passes from the bloodstream to the body tissues and organs.

Front

What factors affect drug distribution?

Back

Factors affecting drug distribution include blood flow to the tissue, plasma protein binding, and drug solubility.